Pressurized marking device

ABSTRACT

A marking device includes an ink container in which the ink is placed under gas pressure to cause it to flow. The marking device includes a valve-type nozzle, which is a tubular member having an internal spring loading a ball valve, and a secondary spring valve, which closes the container upon removal of the valve-type nozzle.

United States Patent [191 Andrews et al. I I

[ June 25, 1974 PRESSURIZED MARKING DEVICE Inventors: Francis W. Andrews, Clarcona;

Philip S. Sussman, Orlando, both of F1a.; Sidney D. Barlow, Mount Vernon, NY.

Mark-Tex Corporation, Englewood, NJ 1 Filed: Feb. 22, 1973 Appl. No.: 334,730).

Assignee:

US. Cl. 401/190, 401/212, 401/214 Int. Cl B43k 1/08 Field of Search 401/188, 190, 145, 180,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Askew 401/212 Werner 401/214 Burt et a1 401/214 741,147 10/1903 2,787,249 4/1957 Barlow et al..... 401/188 A X 3,035,742 5/1962 Cholet 401/186 X 3,376,095 2/1968 Modla 401/190 3,387,911 6/1968 Foch! 401/190 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 864,439 4/1961 Great Britain 401/190 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eliot S. Gerber 57 ABSTRACT A marking device includes an ink container in which the ink is placed under gas pressure to cause it to flow.

The marking device includes a valve-type nozzle,

which is a tubular member having an internal spring loading a ball valve, and a secondary spring valve, which closes the container upon removal of the valvetype nozzle.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures j '1 I PRESSURIZED MARKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to ink marking devices and more particularly to those ink marking devices which use elevated gas pressure in the ink container.

At the present time it is known that ink marking devices may employ gas pressure, above the ambient air pressure, to cause the ink to flow. For example, an ink container may contain nitrogen under pressure to provide an ink flow in unusual environments, such as on airplanes or under water or in outer space as in Germann US. Pat. No. 3,659,951. As another example, ball point embroidery involves drawing on a textile material with a thick paint-like ink which does not flow readily. Consequently, some of the ink marking devices used in embroidery employ a mechanism to raise the air pressure within the ink container, for example, of the type shown in Barlow US. Pat. No. 2,787,249.

It may be necessary to change the nozzles in these types of devices. In one type of marking device air is pumped into thecontainer to form a pressurized air pocket causingthe flow of ink. In that type of marking device the nozzle is a tubular member which contains a helical coil spring which loads a ball normally seated on the inner surface at the outer-end of the nozzle. The ball may become damaged or worn and need to be replaced. In that type of device the nozzle may be unscrewed and replaced, thereby replacing the ball. However, due to the air pressure'in the container, the nozzle replacement should be undertaken with the pen in an upright position and only after a number of hours have passed since air waslast pumped into the container. Sometimes these precautions are not followed and the thick ink spills out, causing a mess and wasting the ink. In those marking devices having an initial charge of gas, and without any convenient means of recharging the ink container with gas, it may be very difficult to re place a nozzle without a partialor entire loss of the gas charge, resulting in failure of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a marking device is provided which operates with an elevated internal gas pressure. The marking device includes an ink filled container and means to apply gas pressure to the ink in the container, for example, a pumping mechanism at the rear end of the container. The ink flows out through a valve mechanism and an orifice. The valve mechanism is preferably a ball-type nozzle containing a helical coil spring which loads a ball. The ball is seated on an internal shoulder of the nozzle and acts as a valve.

A secondary valve mechanism is provided within the ink container to prevent loss of gas pressure and ink when the ball-type nozzle is removed, such removal occurring when the nozzle is to be replaced. The secondary valve mechanism consists of a plastic resin spring to flow past the valve head and into the bore of the balltype nozzle. However, when the ball-type nozzle is partly unscrewed from the neck of the container, the secondary spring urges the valve head against its seat at the bottom of the neck bore, thereby closing the neck bore. The ball-type nozzle may then be completely unscrewed from the neck and removed without a loss or spillage of the ink.

In one embodiment of the present invention the valve head and the secondary spring are injection-molded as a single one-piece integral unit from a suitable resilient plastic resin. The spring, seen in top view, is a closed elongated shape having two legs, an inwardly bowed center portion of each leg, and the valve head, centered at one end. The secondary spring is adapted to generally lie against the internal wall of the container.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a secondary (auxiliary) valve system for a gas pressure operated ink marking device.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a valve system which will prevent ink spillage when the marking tip is removed.

It is a still further objective of the present invention that such a valve system be reliable in its operation and yet low in cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, providing the inventors best mode of practicing the invention, the detailed description being taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a marking device in accordance with the present invention, showing the first embodiment of the spring of the secondary valve system;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the same device as in FIG. 1 but with the writing nozzle partly with drawn;

FIG. 3a is a side plan view of the secondary spring used in the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 3b is a top plan view of the spring of FIG. 3a;

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of an alternative spring construction, the spring being shown in its relaxed elongated position;

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the spring of FIG. 4 shown in its compressed position;

FIG. 6 is a side plan view of a still further alternative of a spring, the spring being shownin its compressed position;

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of another marking device in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ink marking device of the first embodiment of the present invention includes a container 10 having therein ink in the form of a relatively high viscosity liquid which has an approximate consistency of a lightweight grease. The container consists of a hollow tubular body portion 12 having an integral annular bottom inwardly turned flange 13. A slanted integral shoulder portion 14 is connected to the tubular body 12 and leads into an integral neck portion 15. The neck portion 15 has a bore 16 therethrough, the bore having internal screw threads.

An air pump mechanism 17 is provided on the top end of the container 10 and attached thereto. The pump mechanism 17 includes a dome (hemisphere) 18 of rubber or other flexible and resilient material, which has a hole 19 therethrough at its center. The flange edge of the dome l8 fits into an annular channel (groove) 20 around the top of the container 10, formed at the bottom by the flange 13. A thin metal disk 21, having a small hole therethrough, is provided at the bottom of the dome 18. The disk fits over a flexible plastic disk 22 having a slit therein. The metal disk 21 and the plastic disk 22 and the outward flange edge of dome 18 are positioned in a tubular sub-assembly bushing member 23 having a top inwardly turned flange 24 and a bottom inwardly turned flange 24a.

A ball point nozzle 25 is removably inserted in the bore 16 of the neck portion 15. The bottom exterior wall of nozzle 25 has exterior screw threads which mesh with the interior screw threads of the bore 16. The nozzle 25 has a bore 26 therethrough to permit the out-flow of the ink. The bore 26, at its end, forms an internal ball seat 27 for a ball 28. The ball 28 is springloaded by a helical coil spring 29 whose bottom edge rests upon protrusions 41, which protrusions are integral with the ball point nozzle 25.

The container is provided with a secondary valve mechanism to close the bore 16 upon removal of the ball point nozzle 25. This secondary valve mechanism consists of a valve head 30, hemispherical in shape, which is attached to, or integral with, an elongated spring 32. The elongated spring 31 and head 30 may be formed as an integral one-piece member from a suitable flexible and resilient plastic resin, for example, by injection-molding of polypropylene or nylon. The spring 31 has a left shoulder member 32, a right shoulder member 33, a left leg 34, a right leg and a bottom cross-member 36, all of which are connected together at their respective ends to form a closed unit. The legs 34 and 35, as shown in FIG. 1, are flexible under compressive stress and are bowed inwardly. The normal spring action of the legs 34 and 35 is to remove the stress by bowing in an outward direction, that is, to become straight. Consequently, they apply a spring pressure against the head 30, tending to urge the head 30 upward against the bottom of the ball point nozzle.

As shown in FIG. 2, upon partial removal of the ball point nozzle 25, the legs 34 and 35 tend to straighten out and to force the head 30 into its seat, which is formed at the junction of the bottom of the bore 16 with the internal wall of the neck portion 15. The head 30, in consequence, closes the bore 16 and prevents the liquid from flowing out of the container upon removal of the ball point nozzle 25. In addition to the pressure of the spring legs 34 and 35, there is also some pressure applied to the rear face 37 of the head 30 by the pressurized ink in the container, or if the container is held upright by the pressurized gas in the container.

The cross-sectional form and size of the spring depends upon the resilience of the material used. If the material has sufficient resiliency, the legs 34 and 35 and the shoulders 32 and 33 may be uniform of a rectangular cross-section. In place of the straight cross-leg of FIG. 1, the spring and valve assembly may consist, as shown in FIG. 3a, of a valve head 30a having a hemispherical top, a left shoulder 32a, a right shoulder 33a, a left leg 34a, a right leg 35a and a bottom ring 38. The ring, shown in FIG. 3b, a top view of the spring, is integral with the legs 34a and 35a.

An alternative embodiment of the secondary spring is shown in FIG. 4. In that embodiment the valve head 30b, having a hemispherical top, is connected to a single leg (pusher rod) 39 which is shown in its elongated and unstressed position. The pusher rod has a bottom end which rests on the container floor. As shown in FIG. 5, the pusher rod 39, when in position within the container, is under stress and forms a curved profile.

An alternative and preferred embodiment of the spring is shown in FIG. 6. As shown, it consists of a head 300, having a hemispherical shape, which is integral with an elongated pusher rod 40. The rod 40 is bent when it is positioned within the container (the position shown in FIG. 6) and it is under stress. That is, if it were taken out of the container, the rod 40 would tend to straighten out. Consequently, the rod 40, in its bent shape within the container, tends to urge the head 300 against the open bore of the neck.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. That figure is similar to the previous figures, with the exception that, in place of the ball point nozzle 25 of FIG. 1, an open nozzle is used. The nozzle 42 has an open bore 43 therethrough without a separate valve means, that is, without a helical spring and a ball. The container and plastic resin spring mechanism are as previously shown in connection with the embodiemtns of FIGS. 1 and 2. The spring 31d normally urges the spring head 30d against the bottom of the bore 16d, which is the bore of the neck portion 15d of the container 10d. Upon unscrewing of the open nozzle 42, the valve head 30d will seat itself at the opening of the bore 16d to prevent the ink from flowing out. In this embodiment, the flow of ink may be completely stopped, by screwing the open nozzle completely outwardly; or the flow of ink may be a partial flow, by partial inward positioning of the open nozzle 42; or the flow of ink may be a full flow, by screwing the open nozzle 42 until the head 30d no longer even partially closes the bore 16d. When it is desired that ink flow out on a continuous basis, the nozzle is screwed in sufficiently to push the valve head 30d away from its seat at the entrance of the bore 16d. In this embodiment the orifice 44 at the bottom of the nozzle 42 should have grooves or other means to prevent the valve 30d from closing the bottom of the bore 43, i.e.,

the orifice of the nozzle within the container.

Similarly, in the other embodiments the ball-type nozzle reaches past the shoulder and into the container, so that the bottom of the nozzle, which pushes on the hemispherical head, will have grooves.

It will be realized that, although some of the embodiments describe a ball as the valve in the removable nozzle, other types of valves, such as needle valves, may be used within the removable nozzle. It will also be realized that the secondary spring, instead of resting on the bottom of the container, may be connected to the container top. For example, it may be a flat flexible strip which, as a cantilevered beam, will tend to lift a valve head against the internal container orifice.

We claim:

1. An ink marking device in which the ink flows at least partially because of pressure within the device which is above the ambient pressure, said marking device comprising an ink container having an outlet orifice,

a nozzle removably and replaceably positioned in said orifice, an ink flow control valve positioned in said nozzle to control the flow of .ink therethrough,

said nozzle including a first spring to spring load a said control valve,

a secondary valve means in said container and adjacent to said nozzle, said secondary valve means being spaced from and separated from said ink flow control valve within said removable and replaceable nozzle, a second spring to spring load said secondary valve means,

said nozzle in one of its positions acting against said secondary valve means to permit ink flow through said nozzle, and said secondary valve means operating to close said orifice upon removal of said nozzle from said container.

2. An ink marking device as in claim 1 whereinsaid container has a neck portion having a bore therethrough as the container outlet orifice, said bore having internal screw threads and said nozzle having exterior screw threads and being removably screwed into said bore.

3. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said first spring comprises a helical coil spring within said nozzle and said control valve comprises a ball seated within said nozzle and loaded by said spring.

4. An ink marking device'as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means and said second spring are integrally formed as a one-piece member of synthetic plastic resin.

5. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said container has a body portion and a neck portion and the internal shoulder of the neck portion at its juncture with the body portion forms the seat of said secondary valve means.

6. A marking device as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means includes a valve head and said second spring has a top cross-member and a bottom crossmember and two legs connected to said top and bottom cross-members, said legs being bowable inwardly to provide a resilient movement, and said valve head being connected to said top cross-member.

7. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said valve head is hemispherical.

8. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means includes a valve head and said second spring comprises an elongated spring body attached to said valve head, said spring body being greater in length than the depth of said container.

9. A liquid applicator device including a liquid container, means to raise the pressure within said container to aid the flow of the liquid, a shoulder portion on said container, a neck portion on said container positioned on said shoulder portion and having a bore therethrough, a dispensing tip removably secured in said bore, said dispensing tip including a valve means normally seated in said dispensing tip and a first spring within said tip and spring loading said valve means, a valve head which is held away from said bore by said tip when said tip is positioned in said bore, said valve head being spaced from said valve means in all positions of said valve means and said valve head, and a second spring in contact with said valve head and normally urging said valve head into said bore.

10. A liquid applicator as in claim 9 wherein the pressure means is an air pumping mechanism connected to said container.

11. A liquid applicator device as in claim 9 wherein the container has a bottom wall opposite its shoulder portion, the distance between said bottom wall and said shoulder portion defining its depth, and the second spring having a length in its relaxed position greater than said container depth.

12. A liquid applicator device as in claim 9 wherein said first spring comprises a helical coil spring and said valve means comprises a ball loaded by said spring. 

1. An ink marking device in which the ink flows at least partially because of pressure within the device which is above the ambient pressure, said marking device comprising an ink container having an outlet orifice, a nozzle removably and replaceably positioned in said orifice, an ink flow control valve positioned in said nozzle to control the flow of ink therethrough, said nozzle including a first spring to spring load said control valve, a secondary valve means in said container and adjacent to said nozzle, said secondary valve means being spaced from and separated from said ink flow control valve within said removable and replaceable nozzle, a second spring to spring load said secondary valve means, said nozzle in one of its positions acting against said secondary valve means to permit ink flow through said nozzle, and said secondary valve means operating to close said orifice upon removal of said nozzle from said container.
 2. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said container has a neck portion having a bore therethrough as the container outlet orifice, said bore having internal screw threads and said nozzle having exterior screw threads and being removably screwed into said bore.
 3. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said first spring comprises a helical coil spring within said nozzle and said control valve comprises a ball seated within said nozzle and loaded by said spring.
 4. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means and Said second spring are integrally formed as a one-piece member of synthetic plastic resin.
 5. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said container has a body portion and a neck portion and the internal shoulder of the neck portion at its juncture with the body portion forms the seat of said secondary valve means.
 6. A marking device as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means includes a valve head and said second spring has a top cross-member and a bottom cross-member and two legs connected to said top and bottom cross-members, said legs being bowable inwardly to provide a resilient movement, and said valve head being connected to said top cross-member.
 7. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said valve head is hemispherical.
 8. An ink marking device as in claim 1 wherein said secondary valve means includes a valve head and said second spring comprises an elongated spring body attached to said valve head, said spring body being greater in length than the depth of said container.
 9. A liquid applicator device including a liquid container, means to raise the pressure within said container to aid the flow of the liquid, a shoulder portion on said container, a neck portion on said container positioned on said shoulder portion and having a bore therethrough, a dispensing tip removably secured in said bore, said dispensing tip including a valve means normally seated in said dispensing tip and a first spring within said tip and spring loading said valve means, a valve head which is held away from said bore by said tip when said tip is positioned in said bore, said valve head being spaced from said valve means in all positions of said valve means and said valve head, and a second spring in contact with said valve head and normally urging said valve head into said bore.
 10. A liquid applicator as in claim 9 wherein the pressure means is an air pumping mechanism connected to said container.
 11. A liquid applicator device as in claim 9 wherein the container has a bottom wall opposite its shoulder portion, the distance between said bottom wall and said shoulder portion defining its depth, and the second spring having a length in its relaxed position greater than said container depth.
 12. A liquid applicator device as in claim 9 wherein said first spring comprises a helical coil spring and said valve means comprises a ball loaded by said spring. 